SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 17, 2017) – Orlando City SC (6-3-2, 20 points) earned a point with a 1-1 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes (4-4-4, 16 points) Wednesday night at Avaya Stadium. Carlos Rivas scored his second goal of the season while Brazilian defenders Léo Pereira and PC made their Major League Soccer (MLS) debuts.
“I’m really appreciative of the guys’ effort. I said before the game that the objective for us was pretty clear, we needed to defend better and I feel like we did that,” Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “Obviously we hate to concede the goal. Pleased with all the guys. Pleased with the guys that started the match and pleased with the guys that came off the bench.”
In the midst of a stretch of three games in nine days, City showed its depth with several new faces on the back line. Pereira was the first player moved between Orlando City and official Brazilian partner Clube Atlético Paranaense and was acquired on loan from Orlando City B, the Club’s United Soccer League (USL) affiliate, on April 14. PC had an exceptional evening and nearly opened his scoring account in his debut when he fired a shot from distance off the crossbar in the 31st minute. PC set up Rivas for the opening goal.
“I thought they were both spectacular. That’s one of the things that makes me happiest about this performance is we’ve gained two players that we didn’t know quite for certain whether they would be able to contribute at this level and I think they both proved tonight that they’re quite capable of it,” Kreis continued.
PC's was one of several good looks at goal for City in the first half. In the ninth minute, Will Johnson, who began the match with the captain’s armband but gave it to Kaká, served a free kick into the box that Larin flicked just over the bar. Then in the 18th minute, Larin headed Scott Sutter’s cross on frame and forced San Jose goalkeeper David Bingham into a sprawling save.
Kreis opted for his attacking options at the hour mark and inserted Kaká and Rivas in the 63rd minute. The two Designated Players immediately changed the tone of the match and combined for the game’s opening goal in the 80th minute. Kaká worked the ball up the left wing and laid it off for PC, who passed it back across the box for Rivas to fire into the back of the net.
San Jose came back just three minutes later, though, when Chris Wondolowski got on the end of Tommy Thompson’s shot and tapped it inside the near post. That was the only shot that got past Joe Bendik, who made an acrobatic save in the 26th minute to stop a dangerous free kick from Jahmir Hyka.
Orlando City nearly stole three points in stoppage time when Rivas found Kaká on the right wing but Bingham made a strong 1-on-1 save.
The match saw defender Seb Hines make his return to the 18-man roster after undergoing knee surgery in March. It is the third draw in three all-time matches between Orlando City and San Jose.
The Lions face another quick turnaround when they host New York City FC on Sunday, May 21. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium and will be nationally televised on FS1.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
First Half
7’ Matías Pérez García does good work to find Scott Sutter down the right wing. Sutter’s cross just misses Luis Gil.
10’ Cyle Larin flicks Will Johnson’s header inches over the bar.
16’ PC uses his pace to regain the ball up the left wing and work it inside for MPG.
18’ Giles Barnes works the ball into the box and Sutter curls a ball in for Larin, whose header forces an excellent save by David Bingham.
22’ Léo Pereira leaps in front of a crowd to clear a San Jose corner kick.
26’ Joe Bendik springs up to deflect a goal-bound free kick from Jahmir Hyka over the bar.
31’ Luis Gil lays off the ball for PC 25 yards from goal and the Brazilian blasts a first-time shot off the corner of the post.
35’ Bendik makes his save on Marco Ureña’s shot look easy as he dives to his right for the grab.
41’ Johnson curls an in-swinging corner kick that is punched away for a throw-in. After a continued spell of possession, PC smacks another shot from distance over the bar, this time with his right foot.
44’ MPG sprints onto a loose ball and is immediately taken down for a yellow card by Aníbal Godoy.
45 (+2)’ After two minutes of added time, the referee ends the first half. Orlando City 0, San Jose 0.
Second Half
47’ Larin gets on the end of a long ball and takes a shot that is deflected out for a corner. MPG curls it to the far post and it goes out for another corner.
49’ Larin drives up the left wing and earns another corner. Johnson’s service is deflected for City’s fourth corner of the half. MPG floats a ball in for José Aja, whose header glances just over the bar.
56’ MPG works up the left wing and slips in a little pass for Gil, who drives the box and gets a shot on target.
63’ Kaká enters the match in place of Giles Barnes. Carlos Rivas enters the match in place of Luis Gil. Kaká receives the captain’s armband from Johnson.
65’ Former Lion Darwin Cerén enters the match in place of Fatai Alashe.
70’ Cerén commits a hard foul on MPG and is shown a yellow card. Rivas picks up a loose ball at the top of the box and curls a shot that goes just wide of the far post.
76’ Rivas picks up the ball and sprints up the pitch, cuts inside and lets it fly.
80’ Kaká slots it down for PC, who rips a cross into the box for Rivas. The Colombian makes no mistake and fires a shot inside the near post.
83’ Chris Wondolowski gets on the end of Tommy Thompson’s cross and equalizes.
85’ Cristian Higuita enters the match in place of Servando Carrasco.
89’ The Lions put together a good spell of possession through Kaká, PC and Johnson. Rivas receives a pass from Higuita and fires high.
90 (+1)’ Rivas makes a clever move around his defender and flies up the pitch before curling a perfectly weighted pass for Kaká. The captain drives the box and fires a shot that Bingham does well to save with his leg.
90 (+3)’ After three minutes of added time, the referee ends the match. Orlando City 1, San Jose Earthquakes 1.
Scoring Summary:
ORL - Carlos Rivas (PC, Kaká) 80’
SJ - Chris Wondolowski (Tommy Thompson) 83’
Misconduct Summary:
ORL - Léo Pereira (Yellow Card) 25’
SJ - Aníbal Godoy (Yellow Card) 44’
SJ - Marco Ureña (Yellow Card) 62’
SJ - Nick Lima (Yellow Card) 68’
SJ - Darwin Cerén (Yellow Card) 70’
Lineups/Substitutions:
San Jose Earthquakes - GK David Bingham, D Kofie Sarkodie (Tommy Thompson 82’), Victor Bernárdez, Florian Jungwirth, Nick Lima, M Jahmir Hyka, Aníbal Godoy, Fatai Alashe (Darwin Cerén 65’), Simon Dawkins (Danny Hoesen 64’), F Chris Wondolowski, Marco Ureña
Substitutes Not Used: GK Andrew Tarbell, D Shaun Francis, M Cordell Cato, Jackson Yueill
Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D PC, Léo Pereira, José Aja, Scott Sutter, M Ⓒ Will Johnson, Servando Carrasco (Cristian Higuita 85’), Luis Gil (Carlos Rivas 63’), Giles Barnes (Kaká 63’), Matías Pérez García, F Cyle Larin
Substitutes Not Used: GK Josh Saunders, D Seb Hines, Donny Toia, M Tony Rocha
Details of the Game:
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
Date: May 17, 2017
Attendance: 18,000
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 53.3 %
SJ - 46.7 %
Shots:
ORL - 18
SJ - 11
Saves:
ORL - 2
SJ - 3
Fouls:
ORL - 10
SJ - 18
Corners:
ORL - 7
SJ - 5
